Uses of Tapentadol:
Tapentadol is used to help relieve moderate to severe short-term pain (such as pain from an injury or after surgery).
It belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics.
It works in the mind to alter how your body feels and responds to pain.
How to use tapentadol oral:
Must Check Warning Section.
In case you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth as directed by your health care provider. You might take this drug with or without food. When you have nausea, it may help to take this drug with food.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist regarding other ways to decrease nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as small head movement as possible).
The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. Don’t increase your dose or use this medication more often or for longer than prescribed. Properly stop the medication when so directed.
Pain medications work best if they are used as the first signs of pain occur. Should you wait until the pain has worsened, the medication may not work as well.
Suddenly stopping this medication may lead to withdrawal, especially in the event you have used it for quite a very long time or in large doses.
To prevent withdrawal, your physician may lower your dose slowly.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have any withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, mental/mood changes (including anxiety, trouble sleeping, thoughts of suicide), watering eyes, runny nose, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, muscle aches, or sudden changes in behavior.
When this medication is used for quite a while, perhaps it doesn’t work also. Speak with your doctor if this medication stops working well.
Although it helps many people, this medication may sometimes trigger dependence.
This risk may be greater if you have a substance use disorder (for example, overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol). Take this medication exactly as prescribed to lower the risk of dependence.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Tell your doctor if your pain does not get better or if it becomes worse.
Side Effects of Tapentadol:
Must Check Warning Section.
Nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, or nausea may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
To prevent constipation, consume dietary fiber, drink enough water, and exercise. You may also have to have a laxative. Ask your pharmacist which sort of laxative is right for you.
To reduce the possibility of nausea and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position. A lot of people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Inform your physician right away if you have some serious side effects, such as sadness, interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), stomach/abdominal pain, difficulty urinating, signals of your adrenal glands not functioning well (such as loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, weight loss).
Get medical help right away if you have any serious side effects, such as slow/shallow breathing, fainting, seizures, severe drowsiness/difficulty waking up.
This medicine may increase serotonin and rarely cause a very serious illness called serotonin syndrome/toxicity.
The risk increases if you are also taking other drugs that increase serotonin, so tell your physician or pharmacist of all the drugs you choose (see Drug Interactions section).
Get medical help right away in the event that you build some of these symptoms: rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, loss of coordination, severe nausea, severe nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, twitching muscles, unexplained fever, unusual agitation/restlessness.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is uncommon.
But, seek medical help straight away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, such as rash, itching/swelling (particularly of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This isn’t a comprehensive list of potential side effects.
In the US –
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada – Telephone your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Precautions:
Must Check Warning Section.
Before taking tapentadol, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it or if you have any allergies.
This item may contain inactive ingredients, which may lead to allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before applying for this medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: brain disorders (such as seizures, head injury, tumor), breathing problems (for example, asthma, sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD), gallbladder disease, kidney disease, liver disease, mental/mood ailments (like confusion, depression, thoughts of suicide), family or personal history of a substance use disorder (such as overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol), stomach/intestinal problems (such as blockage, constipation, diarrhea because of infection, paralytic ileus), disease of the pancreas (pancreatitis), difficulty urinating (like due to enlarged prostate).
This medication may make you dizzy or drowsy. Don’t drive, use machines, or do anything which requires alertness until you are able to do it securely.
Avoid alcoholic beverages. Speak to your physician if you are using marijuana (cannabis).
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products that you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription medications, and herbal products).
Older adults may be more sensitive to the negative effects of this drug, especially slow/shallow breathing, confusion, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness.
During pregnancy, this medicine should be used only when clearly needed. It might harm an unborn baby. (See also Warning section.)
It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Tell the doctor right away if your baby develops unusual sleepiness, difficulty feeding, or difficulty breathing. Ask your physician prior to breast-feeding.
Interactions:
Must Check Warning Section.
Medication interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This record does not include all possible drug interactions.
Keep a list of all of the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal remedies ) and share it with your health care provider and pharmacist.
Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medications without your doctor’s approval.
Some products that may interact with this drug include specific pain medicines (mixed opioid agonist-antagonists like pentazocine, nalbuphine, butorphanol), naltrexone.
Taking MAO inhibitors with this medication may cause a serious (potentially fatal) drug interaction.
Many MAO inhibitors should also not be taken for 2 weeks before therapy with this medicine. Consult your doctor when to start or stop taking this medicine.
The risk of serotonin syndrome/toxicity raises if you’re also taking other medications that increase serotonin.
Examples include:
Road drugs like MDMA/”bliss,” St. John’s wort, certain antidepressants (including SSRIs such as fluoxetine/paroxetine, SNRIs such as duloxetine/venlafaxine), amongst others.
The risk of serotonin syndrome/toxicity might be more likely when you begin or increase the dose of these drugs.
The risk of serious side effects (for instance, slow/shallow breathing, severe drowsiness/dizziness) may be raised if this drug is taken with other products that may also lead to drowsiness or breathing problems.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other items such as other opioid pain or cough relievers (such as codeine, hydrocodone), alcohol, marijuana (cannabis), medications for anxiety or sleep (such as alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine), or antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine). Consult your pharmacist about using those products safely.
This medicine may interfere with certain lab tests (amylase/lipase levels), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.
Overdose:
Must Check Warning Section.
If someone has overdosed and contains severe signs like passing out or trouble breathing, give them naloxone if available, then call 911. If the man or woman is alert and does not have any symptoms, call a poison control center right away.
US residents can call their regional poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.
Notes:
Don’t share this medication with others. Sharing it is against the law.
This medication was prescribed for your current condition only. Do not use it later for another condition unless your doctor directs you to do so. A different medicine may be necessary for this situation.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you should have naloxone readily available to take care of opioid overdose. Teach your loved ones or household members about the signals of an opioid overdose and how to take care of it.
Missed Dose:
If you forget a dose, take it when you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the regular time. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Storage:
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Don’t store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush drugs down the toilet or put them in a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. For additional information, read the Medication Guide, or consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal firm.
Warnings Section:
Tapentadol includes a danger for abuse and addiction, which may result in overdose and death.
Tapentadol may also cause severe, potentially fatal, breathing issues.
To lower your risk, your physician should have you take the lowest dose of tapentadol which works and choose it for the shortest possible time.
See also the How to Use section to learn more concerning addiction.
The risk for severe breathing problems is greater when you begin this medicine and after a dose increase, or if you choose the wrong dose/strength.
Taking this medication with alcohol or other drugs that could lead to drowsiness or breathing difficulties may cause serious side effects, including death.
Be certain you know how to take tapentadol and what other drugs that you should avoid taking using it.
Get medical help straight away if any of the very serious side effects occur: slow/shallow breathing, odd lightheadedness, severe drowsiness/dizziness, difficulty waking up.
Keep this medication in a safe place to reduce theft, misuse, or abuse. If someone accidentally swallows this medication, seek medical help straight away.
Before applying this medication, women of childbearing age should talk to their physician (s) about the risks and advantages.
Tell your doctor-
If you’re pregnant or if you’re planning to become pregnant. During pregnancy, this medicine should be used only when clearly needed.
It might slightly increase the chance of birth defects if used during the first two weeks of pregnancy.
Also, using it for quite a while or in high doses near the expected delivery date might damage the unborn infant.
To lessen the danger, take the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.
Infants born to mothers who use this drug for quite a while may develop severe (possibly fatal) withdrawal symptoms.
Tell the doctor right away if you notice any symptoms on your newborn baby like crying that doesn’t cease, slow/shallow breathing, irritability, tingling, nausea, diarrhea, poor feeding, or trouble gaining weight.
Ask your friends and loved ones for support.
If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, consider joining a support group or seeking counseling. Believe in your ability to take control of the pain…
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